Captain America: Civil War – Review

Hey guys, I’m Justinn Lee (yeah, it is spelled with double-n) and it’s a real pleasure for me to be a part of The Film Queue! For those who might be curious about my nationality, I’m a native Korean, and I was only in Toronto for a year. While staying there, I luckily happened to work with and meet Andres, Kennisha, and William. Most of our conversations were about films, and that connection finally lead me here. Now I’m back in my home country to finish my studies, but I believe we can share thoughts and broaden our perspectives despite the distance and the time difference.

As you may already know, Captain America: Civil War was released early in East Asia, including South Korea, on April 27th. I watched it in IMAX 3D on the opening night and watched it again in 2D later. I’m here to give you a slight glimpse of it. Let’s jump right in.

At this point, what do you expect from the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) Phase 3? I’d say “the diversity of genre”.

Even though I’m a big fan of the MCU franchises, somehow they haven’t made it on to my top 10 movies of the year list for one or two reasons. They’ve gotten bigger and more spectacular, which is always good for blockbusters, but at the same time, I could definitely feel a sense of déjà vu in those massive battle sequences, or even the timing of the comic punchline. I guess this ‘similarity’ is strongly related to the issue of studio interference, yet ironically, it’s also what made the MCU so popular and powerful, because the audience wanted to see what they expected. But, you know, repetition brings boredom.

For this fan-desired sequel, it seems Marvel decided to embrace change. It doesn’t mean a total transformation, in that it doesn’t make you say, “I’ve seen this before.” About 50% of fight scenes are hand-to-hand combat, which provide a different vibe than we’ve ever felt before in the MCU movies. Combined with the editing and score, I felt like I was watching a decent action thriller, not a cheesy superhero blockbuster.

The other half of the action sequences shows a somewhat creative combination of each character’s ability, which creates great synergy. It’s phenomenal how they balance the characters (I mean, it’s 12 heroes to say the least). No one is neglected in the plot, as they all get a spot to shine in their own way. Spider-Man and Ant-Man are great scene stealers, and frankly, you can’t help falling in love with at least one of these characters.

The conflict between Tony and Steve started with the differences in their political beliefs, but quickly exposed their own feelings. Someone might think this transition is too personal and emotional or irrelevant to the ‘Sokovia Accords’, which cause the civil war, but from my perspective, the emotional transition is well executed and, most importantly, I believe the MCU doesn’t need to follow the original comic’s storyline.

I’ll wrap it up with some tips. Don’t believe too much of what the trailer and TV spots show. Sit and wait ’til the credits end (you know what I mean, right?). I wish I could say more than this, but I’ll leave a blank here for you (or other writers) to fill up.

**Spoiler Alert**

… Are you still there? Expecting more interesting information? Alright, then. You deserve this.

Someone will die during the battle in an unexpected timing, someone will get seriously injured. And each of those is related to (or caused by) someone‘s mistake.

I think I’ve said enough, find out who’s someone and what’s gonna happen after that on screen when it finally opens at the end of the week.

[Admin’s Note: I, and the readers thank you for being at least a bit cryptic.]